Sadanga: The Six Limbs of Indian Art and Paintings

 Art has had a very long life in India. It is still in its momentum. From the cave paintings of the pre-historic times to the
contemporary creations of today, it has come a long way and matured gracefully.
 present in the paintings of the Ajanta Caves, in the artwork of Raja Ravi Verma, or even in a modern-day Hussain, This
game of colors is an incredible craft, which is difficult to fathom.
 Maybe that’s why we call it ‘gandharva vidya’ – a knowledge which can never be forcefully imparted.
 India of the 1st century BC had seen the evolution of the ‘Sadanga’ or the Six Limbs of painting, which are considered
as the prime principles of the art even today. 
 The Six Limbs are:
“Roopabhedah pramanani bhava-lavanya-yojanam |
Sadrishyam varnakabhangam iti chitram shadakam ||”
•Roopbheda – The knowledge of looks and appearances.

• ‘Roopa’ means the outer form or appearance of the subject. The perception is visual as well as mental. ‘Bheda,’ on the other hand,
means difference.
• to create a painting, an artist needs to have a sound knowledge about the different forms that exist.
• ‘Roopabheda’ enables an artist to perceive and depict things as they appear.
• Of course, this knowledge cannot depend solely on the power of sight. Experience is as much important as the former.
•Pramanani – Accuracy and precision of measurement and structure.

• ‘Pramanani’ teaches us the exact measure, proportion and distance of the subjects. It provides an insight into the structural anatomy of
objects, too.
• ‘how blue’ is the sky, a measurement as such can be futile. We can never possibly depict in on a mere piece of paper of a few inches.
Oceans cannot be depicted in a few wavy strokes of the brush.
• A sense of proportion has to be imbibed oneself to measure the ‘blueness’ of the sky and the depth of the water in an ocean.
 •Bhava – The feelings on forms.

• ‘Bhava’ means an emotion, a feeling, an intention, or an idea. This aspect of art

is depicted in the form of feelings expressed by the subject.

• in an entirely lifeless depiction, it is only this aspect which can bring about a

sense of life and passion.

• an artwork as a vessel full of water. It shall remain still and without ripples as

long as it doesn’t get a push from an external factor like a gush of breeze.

• A bhava is like a breeze of air – it gives the painting the much-needed motion.
•Lavanya Yojanam – Blending grace in an artistic representation.

• painting should be gracefully high in its artistic quality.

• The pramanani is for stringent proportions, and bhava is for expressing
movement. But, lavanya yojanam is for controlling the over-expression of both.
•  The motive is to bring about a sense of beauty in a dignified and organized
manner.
• imagine the aspect as a round pearl without its luster. It won’t attract buyers,
anyway.
•Sadrisyam or Resemblance.

• This is perhaps the most challenging task of creating a painting.

• Sadrisyam suggests the degree to which a depiction is similar to an artist’s vision or the subject itself.
• In a way, it is also a way of depicting similitude.
• The delineation must come from their artistic way of painting.
•Varnakabhangam - An artistic way of making use of the brush and colours.

• The term translated means the way a subject is being drawn and colored. So,

obviously, there shall be the use of brush and pigments.

• What this principle focuses on, is the way the strokes are being applied to a canvas,

and the knowledge of the artist about the different colors.

• you will tremble, or only end up applying meaningless strokes on your canvas until

you have learnt how to use the brush right.

• While all the above five principles can be mastered simply via perception, you can

never learn varnakabhangam without some real, hands-on practice.

• The Sadanga is an inevitable part of every great Indian masterpiece.

• From the ancient paintings of Ajanta to those created by Raja Ravi Verma, and Hussain of

today, you will observe that every notable artist has silently put to use all the six

principles.

• it is only when you have known inside out, these prime principles, can you become an

artist in every true sense.

6 PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE PAINTING